Thiruvananthapuram: The Opposition parties slammed the ruling CPM government in Kerala over the apparent lapses in its administrative proceedings after it was found that the man who assaulted a woman doctor near the museum here was a contract employee of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) and a temporary driver of Minister Roshy Augustine's private secretary.
"Is there no control in the ministry? How is it that a contract employee can take the official car at any time?" Opposition leader VD Satheesan posed.
He also rapped the minister's private secretary for not identifying that the culprit was indeed his driver despite sketches and CCTV footage of him making headlines.
Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala too echoed a similar thought and warned the government from washing its hand of the issue. "The culprit had used a state car to commit the crime. The government must answer how he could do that despite the odd hour and the lapses of the police in solving the case," the leader said.
"No doubt the culprit believed that, as a driver of a minister's private secretary, the administration's influence could save him," Chennithala alleged.
He said the crime and the alleged lapses were an indication of where the government in Kerala was headed, adding that the culprit's mere dismissal from work does not absolve the CPM yet.
BJP state president K Surendran too expressed his concern that a state car could be used with such laxity. He too rapped the government for the lapses in its administrative proceedings.
He also demanded a probe into how the culprit, who is an accused in two molestation cases, could evade the police for so long. "It is likely he got protection from the echelons of power," the leader said.
The culprit Santhosh was arrested on Tuesday night. He had molested a lady doctor a week ago while she was on her morning walk.
Soon after the man assaulted her, she reached out to Museum security, who alerted the police.
The cops, who reached the spot in 10 minutes, apparently weren't too keen on finding the accused, as per the complainant.
They also told the complainant that the CCTVs in the area weren't working, and didn't follow up on the case.
She managed to dig up the visuals on her own and shared them with the media.
The visuals showed the man escaping in a vehicle, after hiding for a while inside the Museum premises.
The video clip also showed the woman chasing the man and falling down in the process. After an outrage, the police circulated a sketch of the suspect.
After seeing the video, the woman staying in a house in Kuravankonam alleged that the same guy had entered her house premises multiple times.
The incident took place around 4.45 am near the Museum compound, in the heart of the capital city.
Meanwhile, Minister Roshi Augustine told Manorama News that he has instructed his personal staff to remove Santhosh from his job.
He also said he would not influence the police case against the driver.